Harmless

Closer

JAY POV

Our week at the lake was as close to perfect as I could imagine.

Perfect for us means a splash of chaos, of course.

We slept in every day then had brunch before relaxing on the dock or hiking in the woods.  Eva found a perfect climbing tree on our second full day and got a nasty gash on her leg when we were playing around. I got some gorgeous photos while the light was filtering through maple leaves then tried not to panic when she gasped in pain after catching her calf on a sharp branch.

Thankfully a nearby Urgent Care only had to give her 3 stitches. It looked a lot worse than it is but the Doctor gave a normal spiel about keeping the wound clean and using antibacterial ointment.

My Angel is clumsy but handled it like a champ. She apologized for messing up our trip while I just felt guilty she got injured. In the end we came to the agreement that neither of us need to feel bad when life happens.

All we can do is keep moving ahead.

While we were in town we stopped at a coffee shop and checked our email, then spent about an hour catching up on work. I also insisted we stop at a pharmacy for more first aid supplies as well as more beer. Eva suggested grabbing dinner while we were at it so we found a small bistro with incredible vegetarian options and a patio.

Every day was more relaxing than the last. I somehow mastered the grill after only burning two veggie burgers while she made the best homemade salsa and guacamole I have ever eaten.  We took out a whole family size bag of tortilla chips making veggie nachos one night with no regrets.

My Angel and I work well as a team but are also endlessly willing to compete when given the opportunity.

We spent evenings relaxing inside by the fireplace or on the deck with the firepit blazing. My wife mentioned getting ingredients for s'mores since she knows which brands were safe for her. I had not roasted a marshmallow since I was a child when I went camping with a friend's family so the idea created yet another amazing memory.

The first s'more I enjoyed in probably 25 years was absolutely incredible. Each of us ate way too much but that is to be expected.  We also drank too much a couple of evenings, mostly thanks to talking for hours on the dock or by the firepit.  I learned that Eva cannot handle any loud noises when she's hungover and she learned I get nauseous smelling anything but bread if I've had too much to drink.

It was a fitting adjustment.  Our first morning was rough but we took it in stride.  Eva wore her sunglasses and one of my hoodies while making toast while I groaned in bed, then brought our coffee along with the food so we could stay put.  She has meds on hand like Tylenol as well as a lot of stronger pain and anxiety prescriptions.  I had no idea that my wife's parents would basically keep her drugged up sometimes when she was younger so she was more compliant.  It's a miracle she does not deal with addiction... except to caffeine.

Fishing was even more successful than I expected, though I caught my finger on a hook and Eva had to carefully get the barb out while I tried to not whine. She numbed the area with ice after steering us back to the cabin and I was relieved my tetanus shot had been updated a couple months ago.

It could have been worse, of course. In the end my finger was sore but nowhere near as bad as the cut on her leg. There was no way I wanted to go to Urgent Care for something so tiny when Eva is willing to help.

A storm rolled in halfway through our time but we stayed where we were, enjoying grilled cheese and soup while watching the clouds from our bed. I never feel like I have to fill the silence with my Angel. We are comfortable talking about whatever is on our minds or just relaxing as lightning crashes through the sky. I picked up a crossword puzzle book while we were in town so it was fun to solve puzzles together but we each had books to read and enjoyed our chance to unplug.